Congressional leaders have released a new federal spending package for fiscal year 2026 that includes several provisions related to cannabis enforcement, public health reporting, and transportation safety messaging.
The appropriations agreement, unveiled Tuesday by leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, covers funding for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
Among the provisions, the legislation directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to brief Congress on its seizure of marijuana products from businesses that are operating in compliance with state or tribal law.
CBP Seizures of State-Legal Cannabis Under Review
A section of the Department of Homeland Security report accompanying the bill requires CBP to provide lawmakers with information on cannabis-related enforcement actions within 120 days of the bill’s enactment.
The briefing is expected to include details on seizures involving cannabis products and related paraphernalia that are possessed, sold, or transferred by distributors licensed under state or tribal regulations.
The directive follows legal challenges brought by New Mexico marijuana businesses over CBP seizures of cannabis products. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has previously criticized the agency’s enforcement actions, arguing that they affect operators complying with state law.
CDC Directed to Publish Report on Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
The appropriations report for the Department of Health and Human Services instructs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to publicly release a report on cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) in youth within 180 days of enactment.
CHS is a condition associated with repeated cannabis use and is characterized by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The directive would require the CDC to provide public information on the condition and its impact.
Restrictions Placed on Impaired Driving Messaging
The spending bill also includes a provision restricting how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) uses federal funds in impaired driving public service announcements.
Under the language of the bill, NHTSA is prohibited from using appropriated funds to encourage illegal drug or alcohol use in its advertising campaigns. The provision follows previous criticism of impaired driving campaigns that incorporated cannabis-related themes.
Longstanding Federal Drug Policy Riders Maintained
The legislation retains a longstanding funding restriction that prohibits the use of federal funds for activities promoting the legalization of substances classified as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act. The restriction has appeared in federal spending bills since the 1990s, with limited exceptions related to medical evidence or federally sponsored clinical trials.
In recent years, some lawmakers have sought to remove the provision, arguing it restricts research, but those efforts have not succeeded.
Additional Cannabis-Related Provisions
Separately, lawmakers have advanced other appropriations legislation that would continue protections for state medical marijuana programs from federal interference while omitting language that would have restricted executive authority to reschedule cannabis.
Another funding package maintains a rider preventing Washington, D.C. from implementing regulated recreational marijuana sales.
Outside of the appropriations process, bipartisan members of Congress are also pushing to delay implementation of a law signed late last year that would reinstate federal criminal penalties for certain hemp-derived THC products.
Download Article 
